Justice will be done, says Manmohan Singh

Any action taken by Pakistan to bring the perpetrators of the Mumbai terror strike to justice is welcome, but it “needs to do much more,” Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said. Varghese K George reports. Special CoverageListen to podcast

Any action taken by Pakistan to bring the perpetrators of the Mumbai terror strike to justice is welcome, but it “needs to do much more,” Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said.

He was responding to reports that a Pakistan court had framed charges against seven accused on trial there for their role in the attack that took place exactly a year ago. “It is Pakistan’s obligation to bring them to justice as they were operating out of its soil,” Singh said.

“This is a day of remembrance, of paying homage to the innocent civilians and brave men in uniform who lost their lives in one of the worst terrorist attacks our country has seen,” the PM said at a press conference.

“On behalf of the nation, I would like to send a message to their families, that we share their grief with a heavy heart. We will never forget their suffering.”

He said the Mumbai attack was an “assault on our way of life”, but “India’s commitment to an open, democratic and secular society will not be shaken”.

Singh vowed his government wouldn’t rest till “we have brought the perpetrators to justice”.

He said he had discussed with US President Barack Obama Pakistan’s reluctance to act adequately against the terror infrastructure targeting India, and hoped “US influence on Pakistan would work towards it”.

On Pakistan’s reported fear that India might launch war against it, the PM said they were “completely baseless”. He said: “India regards a strong, peaceful and stable Pakistan in our national interest. Pakistan faces no threat from India.”